Havas Sydney Snares DDB’s Ant Melder As New Joint ECD

Havas Sydney has announced the appointment of Ant Melder (left in photo) as joint executive creative director alongside Seamus Higgins (right). Following an extensive search for the right fit to match Havas and Higgins’ creative ambitions, the move will reunite a creative duo who first worked together more than 10 years ago in London.

Melder will replace the incumbent joint executive creative director Stuart Turner, who is leaving the agency after four years to join DDB Melbourne. Melder commences his new role at Havas following his tenure as creative partner at DDB Sydney, heading up creative for major clients including Expedia, Wrigley and Streets.

Melder has built an impressive portfolio with more than 20 years’ experience as a creative director and copywriter in both his native UK and Australia.

His work has been recognised internationally with more than 50 awards at Cannes, D&AD, One Show, AWARDs and Spikes Asia. Ant has established himself as a sought-after creative leader through notable work such as the ‘Game of Balls’ campaign for the Blue Balls Foundation.

Seamus Higgins, executive creative director at Havas Sydney said: “Since taking the reins with Stu over a year ago, it’s been great fun getting the creative fires burning at Havas again. I thank him personally for all of his passion and I know he’ll kill it in Melbourne. Now it’s all about increasing that momentum. Our goal is to make our clients and ourselves famous around the world for truly innovative thinking, and I am incredibly excited to work with someone as dynamic and hungry as Ant to continue on that mission. We’re just getting started.”

Melder said: “It was a bittersweet decision to leave a brilliant agency that’s absolutely on fire but I simply couldn’t turn this down. I’m passionate about the intersection of creativity, technology and culture and that’s exactly where Havas are playing. It’s one of the most forward-thinking, innovative agencies in the region, so the opportunity to be an integral part of it, working with Seamus and the wider Havas Village team, was irresistible.”

Anthony Gregorio, Group CEO of Havas Australia said, “Ant will be a great fit for our business, particularly with that name. Our joint ECD structure has been one of the key reasons for our success and in driving our pace of change. Ant’s passion for collaboration and his innovative, entrepreneurial spirit, are exactly what we need more of as we continue to push ourselves and the Havas agency further.”

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